Another environmentally-themed novel from Ben Elton. I remember reading it on holiday and thinking....he's being very brave with some of his portrayals of disabled people, and it could get him into bother. Sure enough when I got home I spotted him on the TV being grilled about his book by a disabled journalist who was very definitely not impressed. Not everyone's going to approve, but like I said, he was being quite brave. The humour in this book is superb....from the Global Moritz II Ghia with a 'challenging third ashtray', to the men in blue ovealls in garages who suck their breath in through pursed lips and announce "'sgonnacostyaguvna", it's very very funny, and on that level alone it's worth a read. ( )

I like Ben Elton's books. They always confirm my lack of faith in humanity but at least they are funny about it... As a tree hugger and public transport user I could relate and I sincerely hope that when the gridlock is here people won't demand roads but trains and buses.

Before beginning this story proper, a story which has its fictional feet very firmly upon the ground, it is worth taking a moment to look upwards, high above the teetering masses of rush-hour London where most of this story is set.

Two Iranian agents hand over one million dollars to a Russian engineer for a thumbdrive. The drive contains a deadly computer virus that could shut down all electrical power in the United States at a keystroke. In rural North Dakota, a lineman is electrocuted, and the local cop sent to investigate is shot to death. As rolling electrical blackouts begin to shut down major US cities, the war for energy domination begins. Two nations are behind this deadly attack: Venezuela and Iran, intent on destroying the present world order and bringing an arrogant America to its knees. Their agent of terror is Yuri Makarov, a former Spetsnaz officer, the best of the best among the shadow world of killers for hire. When governments are powerless to stop such a man from sending the United States back to the horse-and-buggy era, North Dakota county sheriff Nate Osborne and brash journalist Ashley Borden once again step into the breach.… (more)